


A Foregone Conclusion

by ImaginationReaper98



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-23
Updated: 2017-09-23
Packaged: 2019-01-04 09:11:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12165903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImaginationReaper98/pseuds/ImaginationReaper98
Summary: He's known her for two weeks, just two weeks and he's already holding her as though it's his last chance, because who knows what could happen to either of them?





	A Foregone Conclusion

He knew that it would come to this the moment he first witnessed the wonder that is her smile. But he's always had a penchant for taking risks, and allowing himself to be drawn by this extraordinary person was in some way, a _risk_.

For a long time, his dedication for the Resistance and his desire to fight for what he thinks is right, just like his parents did before him, had been enough to keep him motivated. Perhaps it was good that it had been the case for many years, it helped him keep a laser focus on each task that was laid in front of him by the folks upstairs. 

But with Rey came a new and entirely different reason to fight, and a terrible sense of dread that would not leave his thoughts.

He's known her for two weeks, just two weeks and he's already holding her as though it's his last chance, because who knows what could happen to either of them? They're not exactly unknown figures in the galaxy, the First Order knows too much about them and it's a not a good position to be in as of the moment. But it's hard to think of anything else except for how good it feels to wrap his arms around her, or how he likes it when she runs her hand through his hair. 

"Come back," Poe whispers. He knows she's smiling, the soft one that would always appear whenever he lets any tenderness escape his lips. 

"Of course, why wouldn't I?" Rey backs away, her hands grasping his shoulders and her gaze locked on his. "Look after him." 

She didn't have to utter a name for him to know who she meant by that, so he nods solemnly, a wordless promise. A slow smile spreads across her face and it doesn't take him much long before he pulls her in again, though his hold on her is much less tighter this time. Beneath his arms, she feels soft and firm at the same time. So powerful, yet so _mortal._

"Alright, that's enough," Rey says after breaking away. "I wouldn't want to mess up this uniform." 

He laughs and looks down at his own sharp and neat Resistance uniform that he only wore during ceremonial occassions, and the start of Rey's first official mission (and a symbolically important one, no less) is monumental in many ways. 

His rank badge gleams under the sun and Rey lightly touches it with her thumb.

"Commander Poe Dameron," she says, "you be careful out there."

"I'm not the one who's about to go on a mission."

She gives him a look and there's something familiar in it, like an expression he recognizes from his own. "You know what I meant." 

One more smile, then she starts to walk away from him and all he can do is look on.

 

...

 

The damage to Finn's spine was finally healed, to Poe's great relief. Although he would still feel some amount of pain in his back, it was deemed safe to wake him from his coma just in time for the relocation of the Resistance base. 

General Leia didn't want to take any chances. The First Order will eliminate the Resistance as soon as they could, they're the only ones getting in their way from complete galactical domination after all. They'll be heading to some planet called _Crait_ and as soon as this information was spread throughout the base, everyone was left scratching their heads and wondering what the hell this planet is, or which corner of the galaxy it lies hidden. The General looked pleased by this, and so is Poe. The more obscure the planet is, the safer they'll be. But even that safety is limited.

Apparently it was one of the Rebel Alliance's old and first hideouts at the earliest stages of the rebellion. The fact that the empire never discovered it was a good sign. The First Order wouldn't find Crait from the Empire's old records and there's also this advantage of having old facilities built there needing only some few touches to be fully functional, so overall it was a more than suitable place to regroup. 

Finn is doing well, as well as Poe could hope for. He still winces in pain whenever he puts too much effort on his back, though he was healed enough to take part in the preparations for their impending relocation. He helps Finn as best as he could, like making sure he adjusts with the new environment well or other small things like that. Poe keeps his promises.

Finn worries about Rey, despite assurances that she'll be out of the First Order's reach and possibly with the company of a legendary Jedi master. But still, he worries a lot. Unfortunately, Poe can't help him with that. 

He can't even help himself.

 

...

 

He met her at a glorious hour.

The Resistance was desperate for something to lift their spirits, something to reinvigorate the hope that had once helped the rebellion all those years ago. 

When the completed navigational chart shone in the middle of the conference room and when the cheers erupted from everyone inside, Poe couldn't help but feel the kind of hope that they've tried so hard to find for a long time.

She was there and in the midst of all the excitement, Poe hugged each person near him until she reached her, unaware of who she was or how much she'll mean to him. Well, maybe he did have a clue.

It was easy to let himself fall for her and impossibly difficult to stop himself when he began to realize that starting something like this, whatever it is that they're doing, is not going to help either of them. Even when he did have the wits to try to prevent it, he would still fail anyway.

 

....

 

He was about to die, but Poe has no time to contemplate that as he struggled to control his ship from crashing. The beat-up last minute alternative to his X-wing, which was now nothing but smithereens, landed roughly on the ground, skidding across the salt flats of Crait and leaving a trail of red soil along its path. 

The moment his ship took a hit, he thought he was surely going to die. But he's still very much alive with nothing but a shallow scratch along his forearm. Poe has always been a firm believer of the Force, but he's never felt its presence in this way before.

A series of distant explosions jerks him back into the moment. He takes his blaster and quickly gets off the ship. When he squints up at the sky, there's not a single TIE fighter in his vicinity, even the one that miraculously managed to take him down. He scans the vast salt plains around him and saw three - no, five - TIE fighters on the ground with dark black smoke rising from their ruins, the same fighters that chased him before he landed. From farther away, another ship catches his eye, a ship he recognized. It lands gracefully, a sight to behold with all its rugged glory.

The _Millennium Falcon_.

His mind is too clouded with confusion that it takes him a moment before realizing what this means. And just when the realization hits him, a figure emerges from the boarding ramp.

" _Rey_ ," he whispered. 

The heat of the battle is still taking place far from where he is after he was forced to break from formation to engage his own assailants, but for once Poe pushes the thought back. Anyway, he's useless out there with his ship damaged. Right now, he just wants to see Rey.

Rey runs toward him and Poe, unfazed by the strong salty winds, does the same. His heart lurches when Rey came close enough for him to make out her face. Unable to focus on anything else, Poe's foot collides against a rock and sends him tumbling on the ground. He cursed eloquently under his breath.

His momentary embarassment vanishes considerably whe he hears her chuckle, the friendliest sound he's heard the whole day. He looks up at Rey, her face blocking the blinding light of the sky, and clutches her outstretched hand to let her help him stand back up. His eyes flit to the gaping wound on her arm and bites back a concerned query. He wraps her up in an embrace instead, his lips curling up in a smile when he feels her arms slide around his waist. 

When they let go of each other, Poe meets her eyes, brown orbs alight with determination. He nods his head and together they head toward the Falcon. They both still have a war to fight. 

He's aware of the weight of uspoken words between them, but hopefully a time will come for that. With Rey close to him, to hope amidst all the dread and fear that loomed near wasn't such a hard thing to do. 

 


End file.
